Project Description

Educational experts developed Experimento for the use in kindergartens as well as primary and secondary schools. It offers a curriculum and everyday life oriented choice of topics in the areas of energy, environment and health for pedagogic professionals.

Specifically developed trainings provide relevant knowledge for the application of Experimento to the pedagogic professionals. Specific instructions, methods and materials for experimentation support the successful application in class. About 130 experiments for pupils at the age from 4 to 7 (Experimento | 4+), 8 to 12 (Experimento | 8+), 10 to 18 (Experimento | 10+), ensure compatible knowledge along the educational chain. According to their age children can explore, reflect and understand technical and scientific issues on their own as well as develop their knowledge about global challenges like the greenhouse effect, renewable energies and drinking water production. Experimento will be used with a local focus on Africa, Latin America and Europe/Germany. To fit the specific needs of teaching and learning in the respective countries, the Siemens foundation works in close cooperation with local educational partners.

To the scientific accompaniment, evaluation and advancement of the project five substudies are planned.

Study 1 - Analysis of the material (Content analysis)The offered materials (boxes, further training, online-material, folder with material) will be analysed about their learning potential first referring to that what the teachers should learn (expert knowledge, didactic knowledge) and second referring to what the pupils should learn by the experiments and proposals of learning offers (technical terms, concepts, speech, values).

Study 2 - Frequency of use of the Experimento-boxesA logbook will be added to the boxes or handed in later, in which the pedagogic professionals will answer questions about the point in time of use, satisfaction with the boxes, manageability, comprehensibility, context of use and so on after every use of the boxes.

Study 3 – Knowledge and attitude of the pedagogic professionalsWith a Pre-/Posttest-design it will be examinded, - if the scientific knowledge about everyday life phenomena and basic natural scientific knowledge as well as the knowledge about the suitable implementation of natural scientific offers of the pedagogic professionals increases due to the trainings or after the use of the materials for some months (Follow up). - if the motivation to deal with natural sciences, the attitude towards natural sciences as well as the self-efficacy expectation of the pedagogic professionals regarding the implementation of natural scientific contents of education respectively the implementation of natural scientific phenomena will be raised.

Study 4 - Didactic competency of the pedagogic professionalsWith the help of video recordings the frequency of use of the Experimento-boxes in the situation of learning will be reviewed. The focus on the pedagogic professionals and the children will show if the pedagogic professionals are able to apply the knowledge which is mediated in the trainings and the materials in the situation of learning.

Study 5 - Learning resultsAccording to the goals of the boxes and the didactic material the children’s state of knowledge who have worked with the Experimento-boxes will be investigated in a test at the end of the school year in reference to- their expectable technical knowledge about the selected units of learning- their methodical knowledge about scientific ways of thinking and working- their linguistic abilities and- their attitude towards sciences.